Lachryma

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A tear or drop of liquid that is produced by the eye in response to emotion or irritation
2. a reference to the fluid released during weeping or sadness
3. an expression of sorrow often represented poetically or in art

Etymology: The Latin "lacrima" (also spelled "lacryma") is the source, and its Greek cousin "dakryma" shows the same root, from "dakryein," "to weep." The initial sound differs, with Greek "d" appearing as Latin "l," which is one of the less common correspondences between the two languages. Its relation to English "tear," from Old English "teagor," is a true cognate: both trace back to a much older Indo-European root for weeping. English borrowed the Latin form directly, and it has stayed mostly literary, appearing in the adjective "lachrymal," meaning relating to tears or the glands that produce them. The exact date of the noun's first English use is uncertain. The most famous use is in the wine name "Lacryma Christi," from the slopes of Vesuvius near Naples. The name is linked to a legend that Christ wept over Paradise and his tears fell on the region, but this is a folk story and the name's origin is not documented.

Synonyms: tear, teardrop, drop, weep, droplet